The establishing of protected areas in Ukraine is progressing slowly. This is due not only to lengthy bureaucratic procedures but also to the fears and misconceptions many people in local communities have about the implications of granting land protected status. People in local communities have quite a few fears and preconceptions about what will happen if the land is granted protected status.
Ecoaction conducted a sociological survey of nearly 1,000 residents across 19 local communities in 7 regions of Ukraine. The results showed that 39% believe their communities will “lose their land,” one-third think that the issue is “not a priority during the war,” and 28% fear that people will “lose their jobs.” Others are concerned about reduced local budget revenues, restrictions on traditional livelihoods, or potential problems with the law enforcement agencies.
Below, we examine the most common concerns about the establishing of protected areas, as outlined in the guide “Establishing Protected Areas: Benefits for Communities.”
Fear 1. The Community Will Lose Its Land
This concern stems from the Soviet-era practice of reserving conservation areas as “closed territories” for the political elite. Today, however, the concept is fundamentally different. Land is not taken away for private use; on the contrary, it remains in the community’s use and is protected from development, ploughing up or clear-cut logging.
For example, after the establishment of the Kholodnyi Yar and Nobel National Nature Parks, their territories remained open to both local residents and visitors. In other words, protected status is a way to preserve land for everyone—not to take it away from local communities.
Fear 2. People Will Lose Their Jobs
Many community members fear that establishing a conservation area will lead to job losses. To some extent, this concern is understandable: intensive and environmentally harmful activities, such as clear-cut logging or mineral extraction, may indeed be restricted. However, these changes also create new opportunities. National park administrations create dozens of jobs funded by the state budget, providing stable employment in conservation, administration, education, and visitor services.
Protected areas also help boost tourism. For example, in May 2025, Skolivski Beskydy National Nature Park welcomed more than 20,000 visitors, making it the most visited tourist attraction in Ukraine’s Lviv region.
Fear 3. Traditional Livelihoods Will Be Banned
People often assume that a protected area means a complete ban on traditional activities. In reality, the modern approach is quite different.
For example, in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and several national parks in the region, traditional highland farming practices continue, including livestock grazing, haymaking, and the gathering of mushrooms and berries. These activities are regulated rather than prohibited because they play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Fear 4. Nature Conservation Can Wait Until After the War
One-third of respondents believe that new protected areas should only be established after Ukraine’s victory. However, the war has made nature conservation even more urgent. The loss of natural areas has accelerated due to military operations and the use of scorched-earth tactics.
At the same time, forests and wetlands have already demonstrated their strategic value by slowing the advance of occupying forces. For civilians, natural areas have also become vital spaces for psychological recovery and well-being.
Fear 5. The Community Will Lose Revenue
Some people believe that granting land conservation status will reduce local budget revenues. In practice, however, the opposite is true. For example, the Kytaihorod community in the Khmelnytskyi region set the land tax rate for areas within Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park at three times the rate applied to agricultural land and thirty times the rate for forest land.
National parks also generate a significant share of local tourism tax revenues. In 2024, tourism tax revenues in Ukraine increased by 23% compared to the previous year. The Lviv region collected more than UAH 47 million, while the Cherkasy region received UAH 23.5 million.
Fear 6. Establishing a Protected Area Will Be Too Expensive for the Community
18% of respondents are concerned that their community will not be able to afford the cost of land documentation. In reality, preparing separate land documentation for protected areas is not always necessary. Communities can incorporate the demarcation of protected area boundaries into their Comprehensive Spatial Development Plans, which all Ukrainian communities are required to prepare.
In addition, communities can apply for international grants to support the preparation of documentation for protected areas. For example, in 2020–2021, the KfW–WWF project “Support to Protected Areas in Ukraine” financed the preparation and approval of land management documentation for the permanent use of land by Hutsulshchyna National Nature Park. The project also established the park’s boundaries within local communities, while more than 75% of the park’s territory remained under community ownership.
Fear 7. Protected Areas Will Create Problems with Law Enforcement
One in six respondents fears that prosecutors or the courts will put pressure on communities over issues related to the protection of protected areas. In reality, law enforcement authorities help safeguard communities’ land rights, and compliance with environmental legislation is the best way to avoid legal disputes.
For example, in 2025, the Shyshaky community in the Poltava region regained 15 hectares of the Velychkivskyi Nature Reserve, which had been illegally privatised. Similar court decisions have been made in other regions of Ukraine. When the boundaries of conservation areas are properly established and communities comply with conservation requirements, the risk of legal problems is minimal.
These and other misconceptions about creating new sites in the Nature Reserve Fund often delay important decisions at the community level. In reality, granting land protected status does not take land away from communities—it protects it from degradation. It also creates opportunities for additional local budget revenues, supports employment, particularly in the tourism sector, and opens access to grant funding. Ultimately, protected areas lay the foundation for the long-term sustainable development of local communities.
Join the Ecoaction Community to learn more about the establishment of protected areas in Ukraine.
Source – lb.ua
Translated from Ukrainian by Ecoaction volunteer Kseniia Khryplyvets